The bleak midwinter offers modernists opportunities to close churches
Easter Morning Mass, 1937 at the old St. Francis de Sales Church in Bennington, Vermont by Leroy Williams.
Parish associations in the Diocese of Roermond in the Netherlands may choose not to offer weekend celebrations in some churches when there is no other option. This is stated in a letter that Vicar General, René Maessen sent to all parishes in the Diocese of Roermond
According to the Diocese of Roermond, this is a change in policy: until now, the rule was that every parish church had at least one Sunday service every weekend.
Declining number of priests
Due to the declining number of priests, it is no longer possible in some districts to find enough to celebrate the Eucharist every weekend in every church, Maessen explains in his letter.
In addition, in some places so few people attend Mass that, according to the Diocese, it is much more motivating to bring the faithful from various parishes together in one joint Eucharistic celebration.
(Cathcon: thereby perpetuating the cycle of decline)
Signals from parishes
With the policy change, the Diocese is responding to signals from parishes that they are increasingly unable to find an available priest. Some federations have a pastoral team with more priests, but that is not the case everywhere.
Financial arguments also play a role in the decision to offer Eucharistic celebrations once every fortnight instead of every week, according to Maessen.
Consultation with the Diocese
These include, in particular, the high costs of gas and electricity. "Although financial reasons should never be a main item in pastoral affairs, they cannot be disregarded either," Maessen writes.
Source
The Letter
The Vicar General emphasises that the decision to no longer offer Sunday worship every weekend in a particular church is only possible after consultation with the Diocese.
a) The decision to stop celebrating the Eucharist weekly in a particular church should be framed in a long-term vision, which clearly shows the place and function of the (parish) church in question in the whole of the federation/merger parish. All this has to be justified against the background of the pastoral care in the federation/merger context.
b) Everything possible should be done to make it possible for people to celebrate the Eucharist in another church. The federation, which has begun and is being implemented in many places, can help to invite and encourage parishioners on the Sundays when there is no Eucharist celebrated in their own church, to join the celebrations in another church within the federation.
The Letter
The Vicar General emphasises that the decision to no longer offer Sunday worship every weekend in a particular church is only possible after consultation with the Diocese.
That is why the diocese is convinced that such a decision is so weighty and far-reaching that it requires careful and well-considered action.
The Church must not allow itself to be led solely by organisational and certainly not solely by commercial reasons. A broad church presence and a missionary pastoral care are among our core tasks. The celebration of the Eucharist, as the source from which a community of Faith lives, remains at the heart of all our church life.
The policy of the diocese is therefore aimed at ensuring that the Eucharist is and remains accessible and has a central place in our experience of faith. At the same time there is understanding for the fact that - when there is really no other option - in some churches a choice is made not to offer a weekly Eucharist celebration anymore. Should this need arise in your parish federation, it is important to come to a careful and well-considered decision. Therefore, we ask you to consider the following points in that situation:
The Church must not allow itself to be led solely by organisational and certainly not solely by commercial reasons. A broad church presence and a missionary pastoral care are among our core tasks. The celebration of the Eucharist, as the source from which a community of Faith lives, remains at the heart of all our church life.
The policy of the diocese is therefore aimed at ensuring that the Eucharist is and remains accessible and has a central place in our experience of faith. At the same time there is understanding for the fact that - when there is really no other option - in some churches a choice is made not to offer a weekly Eucharist celebration anymore. Should this need arise in your parish federation, it is important to come to a careful and well-considered decision. Therefore, we ask you to consider the following points in that situation:
a) The decision to stop celebrating the Eucharist weekly in a particular church should be framed in a long-term vision, which clearly shows the place and function of the (parish) church in question in the whole of the federation/merger parish. All this has to be justified against the background of the pastoral care in the federation/merger context.
b) Everything possible should be done to make it possible for people to celebrate the Eucharist in another church. The federation, which has begun and is being implemented in many places, can help to invite and encourage parishioners on the Sundays when there is no Eucharist celebrated in their own church, to join the celebrations in another church within the federation.
(Cathcon: the experience is rather than people are loyal to attending at their particular Church. No Mass, they stay at home rather than go to a neighbouring parish. There is a sense of betrayal.)
c) It is by no means a matter of course, nor is it desirable, to offer a divine service of the Word and Communion, or only a divine service of the Word, instead of a celebration of the Eucharist. instead of a Eucharistic celebration. This can only be a solution in very sporadic cases.
d) The decision to discontinue the weekly celebration of the Eucharist in a particular church must be made very carefully with the congregation. A short announcement in the parish bulletin or from the pulpit is certainly not enough. Considering Given the important consequences for the Faith of many, we insist on a meeting where explanations, alternatives and consequences are discussed.
e] Finally, we ask you to consult with the Diocese beforehand, namely with the Vicar General, Father Quaedvlieg. The decision to no longer hold Sunday Eucharist every weekend cannot be a mere announcement to the diocese. As the diocesan leadership, we would like to work together with you on this, and also to monitor closely the state of affairs in the federations of parishes.
The Diocese attempted unconvincingly to row back on the letter.
Misunderstandings about Eucharist letter rectified
The past few days, various media paid attention to the letter about the Eucharist, which the Diocese of Roermond sent to all parishes in Limburg last week. The letter appears not to have been well read or understood by everyone. For example, some publications give the impression that Sunday Masses are being cancelled on a large scale, or that it is no longer necessary to go to church on Sundays. This is, of course, not the case, and the letter does not mention this either.
What is going on? The parish federations as they have developed in recent years consist of four, five, six or in some cases as many as ten parishes, with as many churches. Each federation has a pastoral team with one or more priests who lead the celebrations in the churches. Last year it turned out that it is no longer possible to fill in the schedules of the Masses properly everywhere. Also a priest can only be in one place at a time. In the past there were often emeritus priests who could help out, but their number is also diminishing. In addition to well-attended Masses, there are unfortunately also churches where very few people come to the celebrations. For the priest, the parishioners or the choir, for example, it is much more motivating to join a larger group of believers in another church.
For this reason, the Diocese has indicated that parishes - in situations where there is really no other option - no longer need to offer a celebration every week, but for example once every fortnight. The other weekends, the faithful are then invited to come to one of the other churches in the own parish federation and join the celebration of the Eucharist there. Everyone is still welcome to celebrate the Eucharist together every Sunday. In some cases, it may just be that it is held in another church within the parish federation.
Cathcon: Managed or mismanaged, self-fulfilling decline.Willing the end.
And what became of the Church above. It was sold and became part of a museum.
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